Elvetham Heath Management Works 2012

Habitat Management winter 2011/2012

HEATHLAND MANAGEMENT

will be undertaken to help restore the valuable Heathland habitat we have at the nature reserve, we will be clearing several areas of scrub from the site. The removal of mainly birch will prevent this scrub from out-competing heather and other Heathland plants.

We will be carry

ing out turf scrapes with machinery. A thick layer of organic matter has been laid

down mainly from Pine needles and other leaf matter. This prevents the Heathland plants from regenerating.

It is therefore essential to remove this layer of organic matter to expose the old seed-bank of plants such as heather. Heather seeds can survive for more than 80 years in the soil and can quickly germinate and re-establish themselves once exposed to favourable

conditions. These areas once removed will produce a connected arrangement by providing a corridor for which flying invertebrates especially, can migrate from one area to the next and therefore increasing their distribution.

Also swathes along the edge of paths and through the heath, which is part of our Heathland wildfire manage

ment, will hopefully

minimise the impact of wildfires if one was to happen and prevent a total loss off wildlife, these buffers also encourage grassland species to flourish, increasing biodiversity.

These works will be concluded before the end of March, Prior to germination of the

seed bank, nesting Birds and the cattle arriving around mid April – end of May.

Duke Banfield - Elvetham Heath Ranger